


Four Eyes and His Knight

by uchiuchi



Category: Free!
Genre: Children, Comfort, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-16
Updated: 2013-12-16
Packaged: 2018-01-04 19:57:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1085089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uchiuchi/pseuds/uchiuchi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Makoto has had bad vision for years and got his first glasses when he was around 6. When he enters the classroom for the first time, all of his classmates laugh at him, calling him ‘4 eyes’ and ‘nerd’.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Four Eyes and His Knight

**Author's Note:**

> Idea from marukaprompts.

Makoto clutches at the straps of his backpack with a shaky sigh and heads out the door. He follows the curve of the street and walks past the river as he treads to school, breaths visible against the cool winter air. His cheeks and nose, slightly pink, begin to darken and warm as he ponders what to do.

There are two things different about this day.

One, he isn’t walking to school with Haruka.

Two, he’s wearing glasses.

The former depended on the latter. After a recent trip to the optometrist, it had been decided that he needed to get something to help him with his vision. The idea of contacts scared him - just thinking about poking himself in the eye every day made him cower when it had been suggested - so it was only logical that glasses be the way to go. However, the young boy hadn’t exactly been thrilled with the idea. It was the same reason he had called up Haruka and asked him to head to school without him.

Upon reaching the building, Makoto peeks into his classroom, scanning the room for children. Unfortunately, almost everyone is already there and at the sight, the brunet clenches his fists anxiously and lets out an audible gulp. His breaths become shakier and heavier at the thought of everyone seeing his spectacles. How would they react? Would people laugh at him? What would Haru say? Nerves crawl up his spine.

He looks up at the clock, positioned right above the entrance of his class. It’s just ten minutes before lessons start, and he knows he can’t stand in the hallway until his teacher arrives.

With a trembling sigh, his fingers curl around the straps of his backpack with more might and he takes a step inside the room. He peeks up from under his lashes while holding his breath, waiting for a reaction. At first, no one turns around and the young boy is about to spring to his seat and bury his face against the table. As the thought forms in his head, however, one kid glances in his direction and does see, shouting, “Hey, Tachibana’s got glasses!”

Makoto’s face goes pale. Almost instantly, everyone’s head snaps towards him and his eyes dart across the room, locking with pairs of wide ones. The last person he notices is Haru - who is sitting by the window as usual - his brows furrowed as he stares at his friend. Makoto flips his head to the left as a dark red covers his cheeks.

The boy who’d announced his glasses to the class steps forward. “Woah. They’re green.”

"Y-yes…" His voice comes out as a whisper. "I got to choose a color."

"Eh, really?" Another classmate steps up. "That’s cool."

Makoto lets those words sink in and a hesitant smile begins to creep onto his face. “R-really? Than-“

"Too bad he looks so weird in them!"

"Yeah! Ne, Makoto, you look so different! Like a nerd!"

"He really does!"

"I can’t believe he has to wear glasses! 4-eyes! "

A chorus of snorts and giggles begins to echo throughout the class. Makoto blinks as he takes in all the laughing faces, all the pointed fingers, all the snickers thrown his way. He trembles and wipes at his eyes when he feels a liquid begin to seep through them. He can’t move. He’s frozen, the object of everyone’s humor.   
  
His glassed-over eyes flicker to Haru, who is now sitting up straighter in his chair. Blue and green orbs lock, filled with worry, and Haru opens his mouth as if he wants to say something. Just as quickly, though, he closes it back.

Makoto shuts his eyes as tears begin to escape. “Please stop,” he whimpers, pleading.

"You look funny!"

"Yeah!"

"Hey, how many fingers am I holding up?"

"Please stop…" A sob escapes his mouth. He can hear the cackling grow louder at his cries, so he holds his breath in an attempt to push them back. This makes his body shake furiously with every noise that yearns to escape. He wants to sink down to the floor, curl up, and cry, but he feels paralyzed.

It’s then that he feels a gentle tap on his shoulder. Makoto turns around shakily, bracing for more teases and taunts. He cracks his eyes open. “W-what?”

He stops crying. The class stops laughing. All noise dies down.

Haru stands there with a very flimsy pair of paper glasses. One of the holes is larger than the other and rests atop his eyelashes, causing the older boy to keep blinking as the material falls into his eye. The paper continuously slips down his nose and every time it does, he pushes them back up, pressing them against his face in an effort to get them to stick for just a bit longer. They’re crooked, too.

"Haru-chan…"

Nanase holds out his hand. “Come on, let’s go sit down. Do you want to draw with me?”

Makoto’s nods are hesitant at first but become eager as he takes his friend’s outstretched hand. They walk over to their usual table and sit down, where he places some crayons and stationary in front of Makoto. The green-eyed boy thanks him and a grin stretches across his face as he draws with the other, forgetting about the students crowded around the door.

"You don’t look bad in those. Don’t listen to anyone," Haru murmurs, quickly glancing at his friend.

Makoto smiles. “I won’t. But, Haru…they might laugh at you too.”

"I know." He keeps his eyes on the paper in front of him. "But I don’t care, as long as Makoto is happy."

"…Un!"

From that day on, whenever Makoto wears his glasses to class, so does Haru.


End file.
